The History of Wales

Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore 29th December is the Fifth Day of Christmas.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Five Gold Rings.

Welsh gold occurs naturally in two distinct areas.

* There is a band stretching from Barmouth, past Dolgellau and up towards Snowdonia, which was mined mainly at the Gwynfynydd Gold Mine, near Ganllwyd. It was discovered in 1860 and was active until 1998 when it was closed because of Health and Safety issues regarding the mine discharge into the River Mawddach. There is also the Clogau Gold Mine near Bontddu, which following the gold rush of 1862 developed into the largest and richest of its kind. It continued as a major operator until 1911 and still re opens occasionally for small extractions

* In addition there is a small area in the valley of the River Cothi at Dolaucothi, midway between Llandovery and Lampeter. It was the neolithic Britons of the late Bronze and Iron ages who originally opened Dolaucothi, perhaps as early as 600 BC. It was then further developed by the Romans in AD 75, under the military control of their fort near the present village of Pumsaint. The mine produced gold destined for the Imperial Mint in Lyon. Mining recommenced at the site on a small scale in the 17th century, but it was not until the 19th century, that there was expansion beyond the original open cast, culminating in a shaft to a depth of 140 metres. This shaft produced large amounts of ore during the 1930s. However, by 1938 the mine was no longer commercially viable and when it flooded, it was not re opened.